Welcome to the luxury of having a cuppa with a melt in the mouth date cake!
The best news is that making this cake is indeed a piece of cake!
There is no doubt that the well-balanced sweetness and moist texture of this cake will win your heart as well as those who taste it!
Why this cake is appealing so much?
- Even after 4 days this date cake will stay fresh and its rich flavours intact
- You could pack daintily cut pieces of this cake in a plastic box to take on picnics or on long drives
- Bake the larger size of this cake and take it to your friends or relatives and witness the delight on their faces! It absolutely is a winning treat!
- Oh! You will notice that this cake will taste even better the next day. So, do not give way to your temptation to gobble the whole lot down in one day but store some in an air-tight box to enjoy it the next day
- Always remember to buy good quality, wet dates as they are full of flavours
With all the tips and techniques given below, nothing can go wrong. So, let’s get ready to make this insanely delicious cake!
You'll need the following ingredients;
For a 1kg cake
| Ingredients | Amount |
|---|---|
| Margarine or spread | 250g |
| Caster sugar/brown sugar | 250g |
| Self-raising/plain flour | 250g |
| Eggs(medium) | 4 |
| Dates | 250g |
| Salt pinches | 4 |
| Bicarbonate of soda | 1tsp |
| Baking powder | 1tsp |
| Lemon juice | 2tbsp |
For a bigger cake - approx. 1.5kg - This size cake is best for sharing with friends and family or packing for a picnic
| Ingredients | Amount | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Margarine or spread | 300g | |||||
| Caster sugar/brown sugar | 300g | |||||
| Self-raising/plain flour | 300g | |||||
| Eggs(medium) | 5 | |||||
| Dates | 300g | |||||
| Tea bags | 3 | |||||
| Salt pinches | 5 | |||||
| Bicarbonate of soda | 1 1/2tsp | |||||
| Baking powder | 1 1/2tsp | |||||
| Lemon juice | 5tbsp | |||||
| Water to boil the dates | ||||||
     |
- Traditionally the dates are soaked overnight with a combination of hot water, plain tea bags, and bicarbonate of soda. To quicken this process, boiling the dates for just 5 -10min will make the whole process easier. Within 5mins date pulp will be ready for you to whip the cake up
- Interestingly, the idea of adding tea bags into the pan with dates is purely to get a tempting dark brown colour
- You can use self-raising flour or plain flour to make this cake but self-raising flour will give it a more lighter texture
Let’s make it;
Step 1-
Make the date pulp
- Remove the seeds and the stems of dates and drop in to a pan
- Fill a pan with water just above the dates
- Drop the teabags. Cover and boil until water reduces to a minimum. Add bicarb and simmer 2mins
- Let the dates cool off completely
- squeeze and remove the tea bags and crush the dates with your hand
- Keep aside until needed
Boiling the dates with tea bags
Let’s get on with making the cake now
- Preheat the oven to 180C - the oven should be heated only for 20mins. Hence, you can switch on the oven halfway in the process of making the batter.
Step 2-
Cream the batter - this is the same process as a normal butter cake
- Beat sugar and butter together for about 2 mins or until creamy using an electric hand mixer
- Add eggs one at a time, and beat for 15 seconds after each addition
- Now add the date pulp and beat for 1 min until everything comes into a thin batter
- Add lemon juice, vanilla, and salt
- Next, mix baking powder with flour and sieve it onto the batter
- Gently fold the flour with a wooden spoon until everything comes to a creamy batter
Step 3 -
Into the tray
- Line up a baking tray with parchment paper and pour the batter in
- Lift the tray up and gently drop it to the surface for three times to let the air bubbles escape and the batter spreads and settles evenly
Stick it in the Oven
- Place the tray in the middle of the bottom shelf of the oven
- Bake for 20 – 30 mins or until a skewer comes out clean when stabbed in the middle of the cake
Troubleshooting: If the cake is not baked enough in the middle but the top is browned, cover the cake with a parchment paper and bake the cake for 5-10mins more
- Take the cake out of the oven and let it rest for 5 mins
- Gently, remove it from the tray and let it cool on a wire rack
- Dip a knife in hot water and wipe clean when slicing the cake to cut dainty pieces
Tips:
- Always opt for the best quality wet dates for a flavourful cake
- Never open the oven door during the first 10mins of baking
- Also, do not bang the oven door shut as the cake could slump. Close the oven door very gently
- Cover the cake with a cling film and store in an air-tight container
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